Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

The Mitchell Caverns: California's sacred caves

Explore these ancient limestone caverns a 4.5-hour drive north in the Mojave.

Burst of stalactites (the ones that grow down from the roof) in the Mojave Desert's Mitchell Caverns.
Burst of stalactites (the ones that grow down from the roof) in the Mojave Desert's Mitchell Caverns.

The Mitchell Caverns are not as large as those at Carlsbad, New Mexico, or as well known — but are local, every bit as dramatic, and come complete with a history made for movies.

The Providence Mountains are located within the Mojave National Preserve, about 80 miles east of Barstow.

I had no idea what to expect when I journeyed up over 4,000 feet into the Mojave Preserve of southeastern California in the Providence Mountain Range, and was not quite prepared for the colorful wonderland I found. In a four-hour drive from the metropolis of Los Angeles (4.5 hours from San Diego) I went back to a time when giant sloths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the land.

Mitchell Caverns formation

The countless fossilized sea shells found inside the caverns told me that this desert was once the ocean floor and that as sea levels fell, ground water seeping through from above left tiny lime crusts before dripping to the floor, thus forming the dramatic sculptured stalactites (growing down from the roof) and stalagmites (growing up from the floor) we have all come to know from photos. These caverns are still "living," as water continues to seep through, dripping endlessly and forming more natural sculptures all the time.

Sponsored
Sponsored

I stepped lightly along the trail knowing it was also home to several insects found nowhere else in the world.

History (and prehistory)

We know that the Chemehuevi people considered the caves sacred.

The caverns appeared briefly in the Oliver Stone movie The Doors, but since the film crew defaced them by adding their own "ancient " petroglyphs to the walls for one shot (which proved impossible to remove later, and are still there), filming is no longer allowed in them. Because of their fragility I was reminded several times not to touch anything and to stay on the path. Even the oils from the touch of a finger can have consequences in such an environment.

I found the entrance, which resembles two large eyes in the rock, by following a meandering trail that offers panoramic views across the valley floor all the way to the Arizona state line.

A large multi-colored chuckwalla darted right in front of me and stopped to do pushups for my camera.

Before entering I read a bronze plaque that told me the caverns first gained public attention when they came under the control of Mr. Jack Mitchell, for whom they are now named. Mitchell was an entrepreneur with businesses in Arizona and Los Angeles and had visited the caverns early in the 20th century, and when he lost his life savings in the stock market crash of 1929 he and his wife Ida retreated to the desert for a simpler life. Mitchell could not buy the caverns outright, so he sidestepped the law by buying up the local mineral rights all around them, effectively giving him control of the caverns.

Mitchell built a small house out of local volcanic rock and decided to capitalize by adding a guest house and charging clients $1 a night for a room (with a 50 cent chicken dinner thrown in) before guiding visitors into the caverns by torchlight. As an added bonus, he built a stone igloo in which a visitor could hear one's voice echo around over and over.

After his death, the caverns entered the State Park system in 1956, where they remain to this day. Jack and Ida’s house is now a visitor center, and the guest cabin is now a residence for park personnel.

Forest of stalactites.

Traversing the caverns

The caverns are relatively small, and made me feel as though I had entered a movie set. Dramatic surreal sculptures snaked their way down from the towering roof or ascended majestically from the floor, forming towers, pillars and chandelier-like protrusions that fade in and out of the thin recessed light, while eerie shadows danced about. The towering domed roof spread majestically overhead, causing me to crane my neck constantly as fleet little bats zipped past. I kept a sharp lookout for the ring-tailed cat I was told kept residence there and found his lair, but alas he had gone walkabout during my visit.

Thousands of multicolored stalactites dangle overhead like giant fingers reaching out to caress the visitor and if you look long enough, as I did, you may start to see faces and familiar objects in the rocks.

A cement path made my excursion easy for the most part but since I am large in girth, I had to suck in the old stomach to get past a couple tight spots along the way. Two major sets of caverns are open to the public for tours.

If you go

Visitors can only visit the caverns with a ranger guide, so make a reservation in advance. The tour takes about an hour and a half, and most of that is the ranger telling fascinating tales of the history of the caverns. The actual walk through will take about 45 minutes, and flash photography is allowed.

Mitchell Caverns are located in California's Mojave Preserve approximately 80 miles east of Barstow and 60 miles west of Needles. They are 16 miles north of highway 40 with a brown historical landmark sign on the highway at the turnoff. It is developed road all the way there. There are located in the Providence Mountain Range at an elevation of 4,200 feet, and it can be quite cold in the winter and even on windy days in the summer.

You must bring your own food and water. Nearest gas is in the city of Ludlow about 40 miles east. Appropriate footwear is recommended.

Map

Mitchell Caverns, CA

Mitchell Caverns, CA

See park website for schedule.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Starvin Marvins, a sandwich party pad in Pacific Beach

Hand-made furniture and overloaded sandwiches close to the surf
Next Article

Imperial Beach renters scramble

Hawaiian Gardens and Sussex Gardens inhabitants fear remodel evictions
Burst of stalactites (the ones that grow down from the roof) in the Mojave Desert's Mitchell Caverns.
Burst of stalactites (the ones that grow down from the roof) in the Mojave Desert's Mitchell Caverns.

The Mitchell Caverns are not as large as those at Carlsbad, New Mexico, or as well known — but are local, every bit as dramatic, and come complete with a history made for movies.

The Providence Mountains are located within the Mojave National Preserve, about 80 miles east of Barstow.

I had no idea what to expect when I journeyed up over 4,000 feet into the Mojave Preserve of southeastern California in the Providence Mountain Range, and was not quite prepared for the colorful wonderland I found. In a four-hour drive from the metropolis of Los Angeles (4.5 hours from San Diego) I went back to a time when giant sloths and saber-toothed tigers roamed the land.

Mitchell Caverns formation

The countless fossilized sea shells found inside the caverns told me that this desert was once the ocean floor and that as sea levels fell, ground water seeping through from above left tiny lime crusts before dripping to the floor, thus forming the dramatic sculptured stalactites (growing down from the roof) and stalagmites (growing up from the floor) we have all come to know from photos. These caverns are still "living," as water continues to seep through, dripping endlessly and forming more natural sculptures all the time.

Sponsored
Sponsored

I stepped lightly along the trail knowing it was also home to several insects found nowhere else in the world.

History (and prehistory)

We know that the Chemehuevi people considered the caves sacred.

The caverns appeared briefly in the Oliver Stone movie The Doors, but since the film crew defaced them by adding their own "ancient " petroglyphs to the walls for one shot (which proved impossible to remove later, and are still there), filming is no longer allowed in them. Because of their fragility I was reminded several times not to touch anything and to stay on the path. Even the oils from the touch of a finger can have consequences in such an environment.

I found the entrance, which resembles two large eyes in the rock, by following a meandering trail that offers panoramic views across the valley floor all the way to the Arizona state line.

A large multi-colored chuckwalla darted right in front of me and stopped to do pushups for my camera.

Before entering I read a bronze plaque that told me the caverns first gained public attention when they came under the control of Mr. Jack Mitchell, for whom they are now named. Mitchell was an entrepreneur with businesses in Arizona and Los Angeles and had visited the caverns early in the 20th century, and when he lost his life savings in the stock market crash of 1929 he and his wife Ida retreated to the desert for a simpler life. Mitchell could not buy the caverns outright, so he sidestepped the law by buying up the local mineral rights all around them, effectively giving him control of the caverns.

Mitchell built a small house out of local volcanic rock and decided to capitalize by adding a guest house and charging clients $1 a night for a room (with a 50 cent chicken dinner thrown in) before guiding visitors into the caverns by torchlight. As an added bonus, he built a stone igloo in which a visitor could hear one's voice echo around over and over.

After his death, the caverns entered the State Park system in 1956, where they remain to this day. Jack and Ida’s house is now a visitor center, and the guest cabin is now a residence for park personnel.

Forest of stalactites.

Traversing the caverns

The caverns are relatively small, and made me feel as though I had entered a movie set. Dramatic surreal sculptures snaked their way down from the towering roof or ascended majestically from the floor, forming towers, pillars and chandelier-like protrusions that fade in and out of the thin recessed light, while eerie shadows danced about. The towering domed roof spread majestically overhead, causing me to crane my neck constantly as fleet little bats zipped past. I kept a sharp lookout for the ring-tailed cat I was told kept residence there and found his lair, but alas he had gone walkabout during my visit.

Thousands of multicolored stalactites dangle overhead like giant fingers reaching out to caress the visitor and if you look long enough, as I did, you may start to see faces and familiar objects in the rocks.

A cement path made my excursion easy for the most part but since I am large in girth, I had to suck in the old stomach to get past a couple tight spots along the way. Two major sets of caverns are open to the public for tours.

If you go

Visitors can only visit the caverns with a ranger guide, so make a reservation in advance. The tour takes about an hour and a half, and most of that is the ranger telling fascinating tales of the history of the caverns. The actual walk through will take about 45 minutes, and flash photography is allowed.

Mitchell Caverns are located in California's Mojave Preserve approximately 80 miles east of Barstow and 60 miles west of Needles. They are 16 miles north of highway 40 with a brown historical landmark sign on the highway at the turnoff. It is developed road all the way there. There are located in the Providence Mountain Range at an elevation of 4,200 feet, and it can be quite cold in the winter and even on windy days in the summer.

You must bring your own food and water. Nearest gas is in the city of Ludlow about 40 miles east. Appropriate footwear is recommended.

Map

Mitchell Caverns, CA

Mitchell Caverns, CA

See park website for schedule.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Santa Ana winds can bring warmer temperatures to the coast, Beaver moon rises on Friday

High cirrus clouds can lead to pretty sunsets
Next Article

Black Lips, Guided Bird Walk of Oak Grove Loop, Valley Arts Festival

Events November 14-November 16, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader